View full sizeTuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox and Northport Mayor Bobby Herndon wait for the Blue Angels to arrive at the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport for the Tuscaloosa Regional Air Show in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on March 29, 2012. (Chris Pow / al.com)

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- The Federal Aviation Administration announced today it is delaying the closures of 149 federal contract air traffic control towers until June 15.

Federal officials announced last week that FAA funding would be cut on May 5 to two regional airports in Alabama, the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport and the Dothan Regional Aiport, in the last of three phases of closures. The tower cuts are part of a total of $637 million in FAA budget cuts required by sequestration.

Now the FAA will cut funding to all contract towers on June 15.

Tuscaloosa Department of Transportation Tera Tubbs said Friday that the extension will give officials more time to consider its options in continuing operations at the airport's tower.

On Tuesday, Tubbs presented the City Council's Administration Committee with possibilities that included entering in a contract with current tower contractor Robinson Aviation, bidding out services to three companies approved by the FAA or hiring its own FAA-certified controllers. She also gave examples of potential revenue sources of fuel flowage fees and landing fees to help raise money for the estimated annual cost of $500,000 for funding tower operations.

"We intend to proceed forward like we discussed on Tuesday -- to look at funding options, what would be best for the long term for the city," Tubbs said. "We're very excited that we have additional time to make this transition."

Tubbs said she plans to give a presentation to the City Council's Finance Committee on Tuesday.

According to an FAA news release, the agency will use the additional time to resolve legal challenges to the closure decisions. The extension will also give the agency and airports more time to make changes, according to the FAA.

"This has been a complex process and we need to get this right," U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a news release. "Safety is our top priority. We will use this additional time to make sure communities and pilots understand the changes at their local airports."

Tubbs and Tuscaloosa Regional Airport manager Wayne Cameron said Tuesday that many airport representatives affected by the closures told the FAA during a teleconference Tuesday that they had difficulties getting answers from agency officials.

"I think after the teleconference Tuesday, they realized how many open questions there were, and that may have led up to this extension," Tubbs said Friday.

The FAA said approximately 50 airport authorities and stakeholders have indicated that they may fund tower operations.

"We will continue our outreach to the user community to answer any questions and address their concerns about these tower closures," FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said in the news release.